Life lessons rewrite
by Youngwriter16
Summary: The girls are now seniors. Aria's still with Ezra and things are going well, until she finds out she's pregnant and he's diagnosed with cancer.Here you go, the rewrite. Some parts are the same, some are different. Hope you enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**It's a year later. Aria Montgomery, Hanna Marin, Spencer Hastings, and Emily Fields are now seniors. Aria's still with Ezra Fitz and things are going well, until she finds out she's pregnant and he's diagnosed with cancer. Can they get through this? With the events from Season 1, just letting you know. As you can see, main idea is the same, but several things WILL change. Starting with the first chapter, actually. You can read the original if you wish, but you don't have to.  
**

I stared at the stick in my hand. This couldn't be happening. Not to me. I was the good girl. Okay. That one's a lie. I'm not exactly a good girl. For the past year or so, I've been sneaking around with my old English teacher. But we had used protection, or at least I_thought_ we had. Looking back now, I realized we hadn't at all the weekend my parents had gone to Florida for vacation. "Damn," I muttered, tossing the positive pregnancy test onto Hanna's bathroom counter, and running my hands through my hair. "Take a deep breath, Aria," I told myself, staring into the mirror. "You can do this. There's absolutely nothing to worry about."

"Except for the fact you're eighteen in high school, and the father is your old English teacher," Hanna's voice came from behind me. "Other than that, you're right. Nothing to worry about."

I narrowed my eyes at her, sitting down on the side of the tub. "What am I going to do, Hanna? Ezra can get into so much trouble for this!" I felt like screaming. How had we been so stupid?**  
**

"Firstly, you're going to calm down," Hanna stated firmly. "It's not good for the baby. Secondly, you're going to tell Mr. Fitz."

"Ezra," I corrected automatically. "How can I tell him? He has so much going on already!" Plus he wasn't feeling well, I added silently. He'd had a constant headache since that weekend. I had pressed him to go to the doctor, but he had claimed he was too busy.

"You're going to _have_ to tell him," Hanna said. "I think he'll notice when you pop out a baby, don't you?" I groaned, feeling like banging my head against the tile floor. "Aria. You have to tell him. You also have to tell your parents."

"They're going to kill me," I said softly. "I just told them about Ezra a few months ago. They barely accept _him_; They're not going to accept _this_."

"Maybe not, but you still have to tell them. And-" Hanna was cut off by the sound of the front door banging open and shut.

"Hanna? I'm home!" Called the voice of Ashley Marin, Hanna's mother.

"Shit!" Hanna and I cursed together as we scrambled to get the box and pregnancy test hidden. In our rush, I dropped the test. I was picking it back up when the door opened, and Hanna's mother came in. At once, her eyes zoned in on the pregnancy test in my hand.

"Hanna," she said,in a strained voice."Is that yours?"

"No, Mrs. Marin," I said. She looked at me. "It's mine."

* * *

I stared at the white-board at the front of the classroom as my geometry teacher wrote the homework assignment on it.

"Psst, Aria!" I heard Hanna whisper from behind me. "I'm going shopping after school, do you wanna come?"

I shook my head slowly, watching the teacher. We had Mr. Zevin that year, who was known to give detentions for talking in class. "I have something to do." I shot her a meaningful look, and she nodded.

I was going to tell Ezra about the baby, right after school, before I completely chickened out. Thankfully, it was the last period of the day. Even as I glanced at the clock to see what time it was, the bell rang. As quickly as I could, I packed my things in my bag.

"I'll see you guys later," I muttered to Hanna, Emily, and Spencer. "I have to go talk to Ezra about something." They agreed to text me later, and I walked alone to the English hallway. In Ezra's classroom, however, my mother was sitting across from him, discussing something in a low voice. I cleared my throat, and they both jumped, looking over at me. "Hi mom, Ezra," I said.

"I'll talk to you later," My mother told Ezra, and stood up. "I'll see you at home, Aria," she said to me, before leaving.

I glanced at my boyfriend. "What was that about?" I questioned, moving to stand in front of his desk.

"I asked her if she'd take over the newspaper for me for a little while," Ezra said. "At least until I can shake this bug."

"You're still not feeling any better?" I asked, noticing he looked paler than normal. He shook his head. "Why haven't you gone to the doctor?"

"I can't afford it, Aria. I don't have the time, either. I have two parent conferences today. Two. Plus an English department meeting."

"Ezra..."

"Aria, please stop. I can't, end of discussion." There was a pause. "Was there something you needed?"

"I uh... I actually needed to talk to you about something," I said. "Please don't freak out."

"Aria, what is it?" he sounded concerned.

"I'm pregnant, Ezra." Another pause. This time, all Ezra could do was stare at me, openmouthed. "Are you going to say anything?"

"Ezra!" It was Mrs. King, my English teacher. "It's time for the meeting. Are you coming?"

"Yeah, I'll be just a minute," he told her, then turned back to me once she left. "Are you... are you sure?"

"Yes," I whispered. "I took a test yesterday. Three, actually. All of them were positive."

"I have to go," he said quickly, standing up. "I have that meeting. I'll talk to you later, Aria. Just... give me some time." And then he left me standing in his classroom, staring after him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Four reviews in one day... wow.. lol .Thanks guys!  
**

**Chapter Two**

"He said _what?_" Hanna demanded. "_He _needs time? You don't have time!"

"Yes, Hanna, I know that, thank you," I said dryly, pulling my hair up in a ponytail. The four of us were sitting on Spencer's bed. "He'll come around. I'm sure it was just a shock to him, that's all. I know Ezra," I added, when they gave me doubtful looks. "Trust me." My phone vibrated. It was a text from my mom. "Crap, I gotta go. Mom wants me home."

"Does she know?" Emily questioned. I shook my head. "Are you going to tell her?"

"I have to tell her, Em. Like Hanna told me, I think people will notice when I pop out a baby." I stood up and stretched. "I'll see you guys later."

When I got home, both of my parents were sitting at the table. "Aria," My mother said, once she saw me. "We need to talk."

"O…k…" I said slowly, sitting down across from them. "What's up?"

"This came in the mail," my mother stated, sliding a folded sheet of paper towards me. "Care to explain?"

I unfolded it. "Damn," I muttered under my breath. It was the bill from my OB/GYN appointment. "I was going to tell you," I promised quickly. "Actually, I was going to tell you now."

"You're pregnant, then." It was a statement, not a question.

I nodded. "Yes, I am."

"Fitz is the father?" my own father demanded. Again I nodded. He let out the breath he had been holding. "Well, we'll have to deal with this. How far along are you?"

"Eight weeks," I said softly.

"That's not too late for an abortion-" my father began.

"No!" I burst out. "I am _not_ having an abortion!"

"Calm down Aria," my mother said, shooting my father a look. "We won't make you get an abortion." My father looked about to protest, but he said nothing. "Have you told Ezra?"

"I uh… I haven't gotten around to it," I lied. I couldn't tell them he needed time.

My mother sighed. "Aria, I think you should go stay at someone's house for the night."

"What? You're kicking me out?"

"No. Your father and I need to discuss some things with each other. You can come back in the morning, and we can sit down and talk. Understand?"

I stood up without a word and went up to my room. As I was packing my things for the night, I was aware of someone staring at me. I turned to see Mike.

"Is it true?" he asked me, crossing his arms. "Are you really having Fitz's baby?"

"Yes Mike, I am," I told him. He stood in my doorway for a moment in silence.

"If it's a boy, name it after me?" he said finally, grinning. I smiled back at him.

"No promises." I lifted my bag up, and pulled my phone out of my bag, dialing Emily's number. "Hey Em, do you mind if I stay the night? No, they didn't kick me out, they just want to talk. Okay, thanks. See you in a few." I hung up the phone. "Where are you heading off to?" I questioned, noticing my brother had a bag too.

"Drew's. He invited me over."

"Ah." We stood like that for a moment. "Well, I should probably get going. Mom and dad want to talk."

"Alright." As I went past him, he cleared his throat. "You know, Aria, I'm here for you. If you ever need someone to talk, I promise I'll listen. You're my sister."

I smiled. "Thank you Mike."

* * *

"Hey Em," I stated, entering her house. "I appreciate this."

"It's alright," Emily said, shutting the door behind me. "I'm your friend, it's the least that I could do, given the circumstances." The two of us headed up to her room. She picked a flask up from her desk. "I'd offer you some, but it's vodka, and, well..."

"I get it," I said, sitting down on the bed and looking around the room. Hanging on her mirror was a picture of the five of us in eighth grade: Alison, front and center, grinning as she tossed her head back; Hanna, chubby, but happy; Emily, caught glancing over at Ali; Spencer, a book clutched in her hand, and me, my bright, crazy hair standing out. I smiled sadly.

"Seems like forever ago, doesn't it?" Emily said quietly. "So much has changed..."

"That it has," I whispered. My cell phone started ringing at that moment, making both of us jump, having gotten lost in our memories. I didn't recognize the number, but I answered it anyway. "Hello?"

"Is this Aria Montgomery?" a male voiced asked.

"Yes it is, who is this?"

"This is Doctor Robert Johnson, at Rosewood Memorial Hospital. I'm calling about your-" there was a pause. "Boyfriend? Ezra Fitz?"

"Ezra?" I asked, my throat suddenly dry. "What happened?" Emily, still over by the desk, looked up at the change in my voice.

"He collapsed at a parent teacher conference, about an hour ago. He's conscious now, and he asked us to call you."

"Is he okay?"

"Miss Montgomery, at this point, we don't know. It would be best for you to come in."

"I'll be there shortly," I said at once, hanging up. "I'm sorry Em, I have to go."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Ezra was asleep when I got up to his room. I paused at the door, watching him for a second. I hesitantly entered the room, and sat down on the chair next to his bed. "Hi Ezra," I whispered, staring at him. His eyes opened.

"Aria," he whispered back. "You actually came. I wasn't sure if you were going to."

I forced a smile. "Of course I came. Why wouldn't I?"

"I'm sorry about how I reacted," he told me, sitting up. "I want the baby, I promise."

"Right now, that doesn't matter," I informed him. "What happened? The doctor I spoke to just said you collapsed."

"Uh, I'm not even sure what happened myself," Ezra said. "I was talking with a student's mother, and I remember that I was feeling strange. I stood up for some reason, and the next thing I knew, I was in an ambulance. Then I got here, and one of the nurses told me I had a seizure. That's all I know."

"A seizure?" I questioned, my throat suddenly dry. "Why? Have they done any tests?"

"An MRI and a biopsy."

"That's it?" I suddenly noticed Ezra was fidgeting. "What is it?"

"There's something I probably should have told you," he said slowly. "Do you know what Hodgkins Lymphoma is?"

"Yeah," I said. "It's a type of cancer. Ezra, what does this have anything to do with-" It was then I realized what exactly he meant. "You're saying you have cancer." It wasn't a question.

"It is a possibility. I was diagnosed three years ago, went under several months of radiation, and they declared me to be in remission."

I gasped, staring at my boyfriend. How could he not have told me this before? "Why-?"

"Why didn't I tell you?" he took my hand. "Honestly, I was scared to. When we were just beginning, we had so many other problems, and then time passed and I stayed in remission, and it didn't seem too important anymore."

"Important? Ezra, this is your health! Of course it's important!" I was standing now, so angry I was shaking. "You should have told me."

"Am I interrupting something?" a woman asked, standing at the door. She had her eyebrows raised, watching Ezra and I.

"Mother."

I looked from Ezra to the woman. This was his mother? "Ezra, the hospital called me about an hour ago, and told me you were here. I wasn't aware you already had a visitor."

"Mom, this is Aria, my..." he hesitated. "Girlfriend. Aria, this is mother, Asa." Asa Fitz didn't seem to notice the pause. She looked me up and down.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, although I wish it were in different circumstances." She tilted her head to the side. "You do look young. How old are you?"

"Eighteen," Ezra stated. Asa's eyebrows shot straight up. "Mom, not now." Ezra sounded tired.

I had stayed quiet during their exchange, starting to feel a little nauseous now that my anger was gone. I closed my eyes, willing it to go away. Instead, it slowly got worse, until I rushed to Ezra's bathroom and vomited into the toilet. I was there for a few minutes, leaning against the wall, until Asa Fitz entered.

"Are you alright, dear?"

I managed to nod. "I'm fine," I muttered, standing up slowly. The nausea was gone, now, and I just felt a little dizzy. "It happens."

She eyed me. "Ezra tells me you're expecting. He also tells me you're still in school." Her voice was stern. "I don't want anything to happen to my son, Aria. His health comes before anything right now. And I'm sorry to say that that includes you."

"I understand, Mrs. Fitz." I did. Ezra was her son, and he was ill (But not with cancer. It just couldn't be cancer!). Of course she would want him to come first. "I do love him, you know," I added. She let out a snort. "I do," I insisted. "Nothing matters more then his well-being. If I have to, I'll leave to keep him safe."

"Would you walk away and not come back?"

"If that's what he needed, then yes, I would." I stared Asa Fitz in the eyes, not backing down. "But I don't think leaving him would help in this situation, do you?"

She sighed. "No. It wouldn't." She paused. "You know, I like you." I stared. Huh? "You're not afraid to stand up for yourself, which is something you don't see in many girls your age."

"I've been through hell. I learned to do what it takes," I said.

She smiled. "Come on. Ezra is probably wondering what happened to us." She left the bathroom, leaving me staring after her, slightly confused. I slowly followed, noting that a man was now in the room with Ezra.

"You must be Aria," He stated. "We spoke on the phone."

"Oh, um, you're Doctor Johnson, then?"

"Yes ma'am I am," he said. "I'm hear to speak to Ezra about the results of the MRI." He waited until I had taken a seat next to Ezra, and had taken his hand in mine, before he continued. "The test showed a mass in your brain, a tumor. That's what caused the seizure."

"And the headaches?" I questioned. The three of them turned to me. "Ezra's been having headaches recently. Was that caused by the..." I couldn't bring myself to say the word.

"The tumor probably caused the headaches," the doctor stated.

"Is it cancer?" Ezra asked, his voice calm.

Doctor Johnson turned back to Ezra. "With your history, it is most likely Hodgkin's Lymphoma."

"Alright, so what happens now?"

"How can you be so calm?" I snapped suddenly. "You have cancer, and you're acting like you don't even care."

"I do care, Aria," Ezra informed me. I noticed then his hands were shaking. "But there's nothing to be done about it now, except the treatment they suggest." He glanced at the doctor.

"We can do radiation again, to shrink the tumor. Since the tumor is on your brain, it is too risky to do surgery to remove it."

"That's it? Radiation?" my throat felt dry, and my head was spinning. How was this happening? Maybe this was all a dream. Yes. That's it. I'll wake up, and I wouldn't be pregnant, Ezra wouldn't be in the hospital...

"Like I said, it's too risky to perform surgery. That would only be our option if the radiation, or chemo, doesn't work."

They spoke longer, but I felt like I was in a haze. When the doctor left, Ezra touched my face. "Aria, go home. You need to go and get some rest. You can come back in the morning."

I kissed him, aware of his mother in the room still. "I love you," I whispered in his ear, before I hurried out of the room.

**The scene with Aria and Ezra's mom I had originally written for the other version, but I scraped it bc I didn't like it, but I like it now, lol. So I stuck it in. Hope you enjoyed, and please review!**


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